Twitter: @MedicalNews12
The Pros & Cons of Hiring An Online Spanish Tutor
My husband and I don’t speak Spanish, but we still wanted our three kids to speak it. After years of searching for a good option (babysitters, playgroups, learning groups, etc.) we finally settled on having them learn Spanish through tutoring. We searched nearby cities (our town is tiny: only 1,141 people) and tried several teachers, but we were not satisfied with the return: after long hours of driving to the lessons, our son did not progress beyond the point of basic countingRead More ...
How to Ask Your Bilingual Child the Right Questions about School
Autumn is here, and that means it’s time to look at some of the issues facing parents of school-age bilingual children. Our kids are in school, and every day we ask the usual question: “How was school today?” Their unchanging reply: “Good.” Keeping the Bilingual Focus Like most parents raising their children bilingually, we always want them to talk more in the minority language. Unless your children attend a bilingual or immersion school, their minority language probably isn’t used duringRead More ...
Why I Had to Lie About My Child’s Bilingualism
Editor’s note: We normally don’t publish anonymous posts, but considering the sensitivity of the issue discussed in the one below, we decided it was the best route to take. My son started kindergarten at our local school this September. When registering him for his classes, it was necessary to lie about our home language use. Being a teacher, I am well aware of what happens to children who are identified as English Language Learners (ELL). Students are often pulled outRead More ...
Confessions of a Gringa Latina
You know those butterflies we tend to get when we’re about to do something big? Whether it’s giving a speech, stepping into an important meeting, jumping out of a plane or participating in a race, I am constantly looking for opportunities that provoke this simultaneous feeling of nervousness and excitement. While I admit that I am far from a good singer, and still have much to improve on in terms of speaking in front of a crowd, the favorite butterfliesRead More ...
“What Will You Do When He Speaks Half English and Half Spanish Sentences?”
My wife, my son and I spent the weekend with my family. Along with my parents, some other relatives came and stayed as well. It was a great time filled with food, laughs and trips down memory lane. Naturally, questions arose about our son and how we speak to him in Spanish. One interesting question I was asked is stated was “What are you going to do when he speaks half English half Spanish sentences?” This caught me a littleRead More ...
A New Mom Learns All About Latino Traditions and Superstitions
Never, ever did I plan to have children, but even more far-fetched in my envisioned future was to confront pregnancy in a foreign country. Nonetheless, I fell in love and life surprised me with an extended stay along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, in my husband’s hometown. Included during this “stay” I experienced a blissful courtship, marriage, becoming a legal Mexican resident (phew, that’s finally out of the way!), and then… a positive pregnancy stick. Wait, what? After the immediateRead More ...
